Marching Towards Spring Recipes
From the valiant and vivid purple crocuses peeping out of the soil to the first of the spring crops, the month of March is giving us some most welcome glimpses of the changing seasons. Thus, this week’s box is full of such winter favorites as beets, Kakai hulless squash and parsnips, while including the tender pea shoots, baby carrots, green onions and leeks that nod to the approaching spring. Rounding out this bright lineup, you’ll also find farm-fresh eggs, Pain au Levain bread, a silky, smooth Washington red wine, graham crackers in fun animal shapes and a beautiful hunk of farmstead cheddar cheese from Duvall’s own Cherry Valley Dairy. Enjoy!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Crispy Parsnip Chips
These lightly-salted baked chips are a wonderful afternoon snack.
Roasted Golden Beet & Carrot Dip
This beautiful spread is delicious with crostini or pita crisps!
Beet, Carrot & Pomegranate Salad
This colorful salad is sure to brighten up your table!
Balsamic-Glazed Root Vegetables
An herb-packed marinade infuses fresh flavor into late fall staples like carrots, squash and parsnips.
Buttery Braised Leeks
Accented with just a squeeze of lemon, these sublime leeks are a worthy side dish.
Honey-Glazed Baby Carrots
The inherent sweetness of fresh baby carrots is further enhanced in this glazed side dish from local chef John Sundstrom’s Lark: Cooking Against the Grain.
Pasta Night Recipes
Warm and cozy, yet fresh and flavorful, this week’s lineup is inspired by the best in Italian cooking—from imported olive oil and Grana-style cheese to our housemade bolognese sauce and locally-made bucatini pasta. Also included for your pasta night: Pain au Levain bread and such winter all-stars as Murcott mandarins, microgreens, red kale and broccolini. As they say in Italy, mangia!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Lemon-Thyme Infused Olive Oil
Set out a bowl of this infused oil alongside some freshly-sliced bread and watch it disappear before dinner!
Balsamic-Glazed Root Vegetables
An herb-packed marinade infuses fresh flavor into winter staples like carrots and parsnips.
Baby Carrots Marinated with Garlic & Oregano
This room-temperature dish packs in the flavor.
Broccolini with Vin Cotto
Coated in a balsamic vinegar glaze, this garlic-flecked broccolini makes for a warm, homey side dish.
Crispy Parsnip Chips
These lightly-salted baked chips are a wonderful afternoon snack.
Spinach & Cheese Strata
Put this week’s bread loaf to good use with this spinach-kissed breakfast strata.
Baby Beet & Carrot Salad with Herbed Crème Fraîche Dressing
This beautiful salad utilizes both the bright baby beets and tender greens.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
2 green onions, minced
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
½ cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons minced dill
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 pound baby beets with greens (about 1-inch thick)
1 pound slender young carrots with greens (about 1/2-inch thick)1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. For the dressing: Whisk to combine green onion, garlic, and lemon zest and juice, onion and garlic powder, and sea salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside to marinate for a few minutes. Fold in the crème fraîche, followed by the fresh herbs. Taste and add sea salt as needed. Cover and set in fridge to chill. Just before serving, whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin dressing as needed.
2. Preheat oven to 425°. Trim all but ¼-inch of beet and carrot greens (reserve beet greens), and thoroughly scrub vegetables. Set unpeeled beets in a small, 2-inch-deep baking pan. Add ½ inch of cold water and cover tightly with foil. Slide into oven and roast until beets are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover beets, drain hot water, and set beets aside until cool enough to handle. Slice off beet tops and remove skin under cold running water, either with fingertips or a peeler. (Skin will come off very easily.) Quarter beets and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Halve carrots and cut on the bias into 4-inch spears. Toss with olive oil and a pinch each sea salt and pepper. Scatter on a rimmed baking sheet and slide into oven to roast alongside beets 10 to 15 minutes, or until carrots just begin to curl up and the edges turn golden.
4. While vegetables cook, rinse and dry beet greens, and arrange leaves on a serving platter. Tuck beets and carrots into the greens. Spoon on the dressing, and finish with a few twists of pepper and minced parsley. Serve immediately.
